Bahrain was non-committal on Thursday about whether or not it will accept a decision by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) concerning its wrangle with Qatar over Gulf islands potentially rich in oil and gas.

"Bahrain came to The Hague with the conviction that it had right on its side and that the court will accept its rights," the Bahraini representative at the hearing told London-based Arab television station MBC.

"We consider that the court is not an instrument of national politics but an instrument of peace," Minister of State Jawad Salem al-Arrayed said.

The minister's remarks came as the court wound up a five-week public hearing into the dispute, which focuses on Qatar's claim to the Hawar islands and Fasht al-Dibel rocks which have been held by Bahrain since the late 1930s, as well as Manama's claim to the Zubara strip on Qatar's west coast.

During final submissions to the court, the Bahraini representative told the judges that his country was "defending one third of its territory" against Qatar.

A judgment on the issue is expected from the ICJ in between four to six months - THE HAGUE (AFP)